Welcome to the Smokefree Devon Alliance Newsletter
As always, please share any information you would like to see included in future editions.
Newsletter Headlines:
- Stoptober is Back!
- Vype Promotional Activity
- Stop Smoking Advisor Training
- Feedback on the Smoking Cessation pathway in Devon
Stoptober is Back! Join us in promoting it and support people in Devon to quit
To date, the campaign has driven over 1.7 million quit attempts, representing the biggest mass participation quit attempt in the UK. Stoptober encourages as many smokers as possible to prepare to quit from 1st October by taking part in the campaign and utilising the range of free resources and support available.
Smoking remains one of the biggest causes of death and illness in the UK. Stoptober provides an invaluable opportunity to encourage your colleagues, friends, families, patients and clients to make a quit attempt this October.
It would be fantastic to see many organisations across Devon promoting Stoptober once more, and ensuring people wishing to quit are aware of and offered evidence-based stop smoking support.
People are three times more likely to quit smoking with support.
David from Exeter had the following to say after quitting smoking with support from OneSmallStep:
“I have saved £1,200 and my lung capacity feels better. Without the service I don’t know whether I would have been successful. You need back up and support and someone to say you’re doing well and to keep going. One reason I kept off cigarette is that each week Denise would ring. I didn’t want to say I’d been smoking so that helped me keep on track.”
This year’s Stoptober will look and feel quite different to previous campaigns. It will carry the new ‘Better Health’ branding which has been created to support a national health reset moment that launched at the end of July. This new branding approach responds to new challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact it’s had on people’s health behaviours. Secondly, this year will focus on two distinct audiences who research shows have different views and motivations toward making a quit attempt: a primary audience of smokers aged 35 to 60 and a secondary audience of younger smokers aged 18 to 34 (both focusing on C2DE socio-economic groups).
The campaign will comprise two key phases of activity: a ‘rally’ phase which launched on 21st September, aiming to encourage and prepare smokers to make a quit attempt on 1 October, followed by a ‘support’ phase designed to help them sustain their quit attempt throughout the month.
Digital resources are available to download from: https://campaignresources.phe.gov.uk
What support is available for Smokers wishing to quit during Stoptober?
• Local stop smoking services offer up to 12 weeks of support from dedicated Stop Smoking Advisors. They will arrange the best Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) products including gum, nasal sprays and patches, or stop smoking medication prescribed by GPs. These products will help manage cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
For details of how to refer people for specialist stop smoking support in Devon, visit https://www.smokefreedevon.org.uk/professional-referral-to-stop-smoking-service/
Stop smoking services within local GP practices and pharmacies in the Devon County Council area can be found through https://www.pinpointdevon.co.uk/
• Stoptober offers a range of national support, including a Stoptober app, Facebook messenger bot, daily e-mails, SMS support and Stoptober online communities.
• The Stoptober free personal quit plan helps smokers find a combination of stop smoking support that’s right for them based on their level of tobacco dependency and any quitting support used previously.
How can my organisation support Stoptober?
Here are a few ideas:
- Promoting Stoptober to your colleagues, patients or clients and signposting to stop smoking services for support.
- Arranging a member of the local specialist stop smoking service to attend a (virtual) team meeting to promote Stoptober and support services on offer.
- Download the Stoptober resources and display them in your workplace. How about including the Stoptober logo on your e-mail signature, screen savers or TV screens?
- Include an article on Stoptober in a newsletter or on your website (copy for use in OneSmallStep full stakeholder briefing linked below)
- Promote Stoptober on social media
The full stakeholder briefing from Devon’s Healthy Lifestyle Service can be found here.
Stop Smoking Advisor Training
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OneSmallStep have been working hard to enable staff within GPs and pharmacies to attend stop smoking advisor training, by adapting the course to be delivered online.
As a result, the initial training will now take place over one day instead of two.
We are pleased to announce the new dates:
Stop Smoking Advisor Refresher Training
(should be attended once a year by at least one trained advisor per setting)
- Tuesday 20th October 2020, 9.30am – 12.30pm
- Monday 7th December 2020, 1 – 4pm
Stop Smoking Advisor Initial Training
(for staff who wish to deliver stop smoking advice in Devon)
- Wednesday 25th November 2020, 9.30am – 4.30pm
Please note, to enable payment of stop smoking activity currently, the GP or pharmacy must already hold a contract with Public Health
To book onto one of these courses, please visit bookwhen.com/onesmallstep
In addition to this training, OneSmallStep is soon to organise monthly virtual sessions for any advisors wanting to dial in and ask questions about smoking cessation support. More details on these soon!
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Stop Smoking Advisors – share your feedback or thoughts on the smoking cessation pathway in Devon |
We are currently evaluating the primary care stop smoking services in Devon and would like to hear from GPs and pharmacies with any feedback or thoughts about the pathway, how it is working and any suggestions for improvements.
If you have a moment to share, a short form can be filled in here. Thank you!
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